
His two best known albums, Raag Manifestos (2004) and Kensington Blues (2005), appeared on the VHF imprint, and his most recent recordings, Dr. Ragtime and Pals (2008, Beautiful Happiness), Jack Rose and the Black Twig Pickers (2009, VHF), and I Do Play Rock and Roll (2008, Oscillation III), were all critically acclaimed. Much of Rose's work appeared on limited-edition vinyl runs before being issued later on CD. By all accounts, he was a contradictory persona, being a large man who looked like he could snap the neck off a guitar with a couple of fingers, contrasted by the way he played: with intricacy, genuine warmth, and home-made elegance, and of course a rather stunning virtuosity. He was a visionary who simply never thought of himself that way. Below are two video examples of Rose in action.
Photo credit: Dan Cohoon